PUSCHKINIA 



PUSCHKtNIA (Count M. Puschkin, Russian poet). 

 Liliacat. A genus of 2 species of hardy spring-bloom- 

 ing bulbs from S. Asia, with clusters of small C-Iobed 

 white fls., each narrow lobe being prettily lined with 

 blue. A good specimen may have as many as 10 fls., 

 eacli % in. across. The peculiar feature of the genus 

 is the crown on which the stamens are borne. This is 

 a white body of petal-like texture, having ti lobes, each 

 of which is variously toothed. The genus is allied to 

 Scilla and Chionodoxa. Lvs. 2-3, linear, surrounding 

 the lower part of the scape. Excellent early plants. 



BCilloldes, Adams (Addmsia scilMdes. WiUd.). 

 Height 4-12 in.: bulb globular, about '% in. thick: lvs. 

 as long as scape, }4-l in. wide: raceme 1-10-tld.: pedi- 

 cels slender, erect: perianth usually hhiisli white: di- 

 visions elliptic-oblong, three times i* I"m:; as ilic tube; 

 crown one-third as long as divisions, 'lift lo miilcile 

 into truncate or retuse teeth. Vur. Libanotica, Boiss. 

 (P. Libandtica, Zucc), differs from the type in having 

 divisions of perianth % in. long and the teeth of the 

 crown more acute and bifid. Gn. 32, p. 5; 54, p. 219. 

 B.M.2244. F.S. 21:2220 (as P.sieiila). 



F. W. Barclay and W. M. 



PUTKANjlVA (meaning obscure). Euphorbidcefe. 

 A genus of 2 species of tender evergreen trees native 

 of India. Lvs. alternate, undivided, entire or serrulate: 

 fls. axillarv, small, yellow or white, monoecious or 

 <lioecious, the female subsolitary, the male clustered : 

 stamens 1-3: ovary 2-3-celled : drupe 1 -celled. Flora 

 of British India, 5:336. 



BozbuTghii, Wall. Indian AJn-LET Plant. A mod- 

 erate-sized tree, nearly glabrous: lvs. 2-3 in. long, 

 obliquely ovate to ovate-lanceolate, serrulate: fls. small, 

 yellow; sepals of male fl. 3-5, of female .5-6: fr. globose 

 to ovoid, size of a cherry or smaller, white toraentose. 

 Cult, in S. Fla. F. W. Barclay. 



PUTTY-KOOT. Contllorhiza. 



PtTYA (Chilean name). Iiromelidcea> . Forty-four 

 species, according to Mez (DC. Monogr. Phaner. 9) of 

 large terrestrial xerophytie South American brome- 

 liads, allied to Pitcairnia (differing in having a fully 

 .superior rather than partiall\' su|.iri..r ovary). For 

 culture, see also Billbergia. /''(//■' """/,«, P. Whytri 

 and P. heterophylla are li^r. r. I'.rn ,1 to Pitcairnia. 

 Puya also includes the I'lanis known in trade as 

 Pourretia. 



A. Fls. yellow. 



ChiWnsis, Molina (PifcairHia conrcldlii. Pers.. and P. 

 CJtiUnsU, Lodd.). Becoming' 4-.-> ft. or m.ire liigli. 

 sometimes branching: lvs. in tuft-. L'-l I'l . Iohlt. very 

 narrow, often recurved, tin- niar-in^ arnn d v, iili -ti-ong 

 recurved spines or thorns. L'lau.i.u-: l.l.i--(.ni- in a 

 branching, hoary, bracte.l inlli.i . -.■. tm i iivmL' '.••-:> ft. 

 from the top of the caudcx. i' •: ' /^ _' in. across), 

 sessile or nearly so, thi :: [als greenish 



and "he obovate-oblong nm ■ i : lals yellow or 



greenish j-ellow, the G ir. : ! iter than the 



aetals, the stigma 3-branthLl, i lil-, l;..M. 4715. F.S. 

 9:869-70. G.C. III. 7:685.-A striking and mammoth 

 bromeliad, making a yucca-like mass of foliage and 

 projecting above it a very showy inflorescence. 



AA. Fls. white i 



-color. 



glgas, Andr^. Still larger than the latter, sending its 

 titanic spikes 20 to 30 ft. into the air, from a rosette of 

 hard and thick spiny-toothed agave-like lvs.: inflores- 

 cence simple, dense, club-shaped, terminating the tall, 

 erect, bracted scape: lvs. green above and white be- 

 neath, the spines black and hooked : fls. white, passing 

 into rose. Colombia, 10,000 ft. R.H. 1881. p. 315, and 

 Gn. 21, p. 309.-Can probably be handled like agaves. 

 L. H. B. 



Puyas and Pitcaimias are mostly warmhouse plants, 

 requiring the general treatment given JIusas, Dieffen- 

 bachias and Marantas. They prefer a fairly heavy 

 loam, and, except when in bloom, a constant supply of 

 moisture. When in bloom, the plant .should be elevated 

 on a pedestal or inverted pots in order to protect it 



PYRACANTHA 14b I 



from excessive moisture and to allow the scape full 

 opportunity to expand. Propagated by division. 



H. A. SlEHKI,, IIT. 



Puyas and Pitcaimias are generally I'oun.l m ,-.ill,r. 

 tions of bromeliads and are usually ;;i'.\mi in moist, 

 tropical houses. The native home of tin- Tuyas is on 

 the steep, stony slopes of the Cordilleras at high alti- 

 tudes with little other vegetation for company except 

 some species of Cereus. This would indicate that drier 

 and cooler conditions, or such as we give Cacti and suc- 

 culents, would suit them best, yet they thrive equally 

 well in the tropical house. Indeed, the writer has 

 found most of the family Bromeliacese very accom- 

 modating not only to tetiiijerature and moisture condi- 

 tions, but to soils an.l iimtIm..! ..f c-rowinL' flu-ni: for 

 instance, many of tli' '[■■■' r^^' n -mx !"■ ijn.un ■<» 

 blocks of wood as i-i'i:' ' ' • 'I" •,|ii,-,il\ will 



grown in pots. Butv,i:,i. i-::..ii in.uc r.inai kaliU- 



is the fact that several ■! iIil -u jii^>r yrowmt,' I'.ronii-- 

 liads appear to grow eiiiiiUly wi'll either in a strong 

 loamy mixture, or a mixture of chopped fern root and 

 charcoal. The writer has pineapples growing in both 

 mixtures with equal success. But the most rational 

 treatment is to give all the Bromeliads conditions and 

 soil similar to the environment in which they are found 

 in their native habitat, yet according to the experience 

 of the writer few plants possess such remarkable adap- 

 tability to changed conditions as do these plants. 



J. Cansino. 



PYCNANTHEMUM (Greek, (FcMsc and blossom; re- 

 ferring to compact flower-heads). Labi&tiv. Mountain 

 Fruit. Hardy aromatic perennial herbs with branching 

 stems and white or purplish fls. in terminal or sometimes 

 also axillary clusters, borne in late summer. Calyx 2- 

 lipped or 5-toothed, naked in the throat; corolla 2-lipped ; 

 stamens 4, straight and spreading, or connivent under 

 the upper lip; the upper pair shorter or abortive: an- 

 thers 2-celled. The genus differs from Monarda in hav- 

 ing smaller and canescent fl. -heads. Pycnanthemums 

 are mint-like plants of easy culture in any good soil. 

 The following grow 1-3 ft. high, and bear fl. -heads % in. 

 across or less from July to September. Lvs. entire, gla- 

 brous or pubescent, nearly sessile. 



A. Lvs. lanceolate or linear-lanceolate: calyx-teeth 

 ocate-triangutar. 



lanceoliltum.Pursh. Stem rather stout : lvs. fragrant, 

 firm, acuminate at apex, rounded or narrowed at base, 

 1-2 in. long, 2-5 lines wide. Dry fields, Canada to Ga., 

 west to Minn. B.B. 3:112. 

 AA. Lvs. linear: calyx-teeth subxtlate, bristle-tipped. 



linifdlium, Pursh. Stem slender: lvs. 1-2 in. long, 

 %-l% lines wide. In fields, Mass. to Fla., Ont., Minn, 

 and Texas. B.B. 3:111. 



P. Monardetla. Michx . is prnporly Monarda Olinnpodia, 

 Linn. A i.ereunial Iieil. witli a slender, usually siiiipk- stem 



PYRACANTHA ir.i 



F. W. Bakolat. 



u\al„,in,ns,nu,r, 



green shrub, especially when loaded with its: bright red 

 fruits, these remaining on the branches all winter if not 

 eaten hv birds, which are fond of them; it is also pretty 

 in spriiiir with its numerous i-orymbs of white fls. It is 

 well a(la)it.(l f..r jilantinLT on ro.-ky slopes or sunny 

 roek. rn - ■■)■ f<T i„.r.i.r-- ..t -li i-ii.i,.j-i.-s ; it may also be 

 iisi-.l i'..i- jov, ,.rii:un. iiial Im.i.-c-of for covering Walls, 

 as ii -Lain!- iiniiiiTi- -.\oll an.l i- oa-ilv trained into any 

 desir.-.l vi,;.|i. . li thrives in almost any kind of well- 

 drain. d -oil, iialu.Ung limestone, and prefers stmny po- 

 .sttion-. I'roji. l.v si-cds or bv cuttings of ripened wood 

 in fall nn.l.r irlass, kept during the winter in a temper- 



